Floods and Mudslides Kill 99 in Central America

Published: October 6, 2005

Heavy rain pounded Central America on Wednesday for a fourth consecutive day, causing flooding and at least two deadly mudslides. The region's death toll rose to 99.

A hurricane, named Stan, which had helped to create heavy rain in Central America, weakened to a depression on Wednesday, a day after making landfall along the gulf coast of Mexico. But punishing rain continued in parts of Central America and southern Mexico.

In Guatemala, mudslides in Solol?nd San Lucas Tolim? each about 60 miles west of Guatemala City, buried several houses. It was not clear how many people were under the debris, said Carlos Santizo, chief of the Solol?ire Department.

A photographer for The Associated Press said he had seen at least 12 bodies recovered.

The additional victims would bring the death toll in Guatemala alone to at least 31, and the total number of confirmed dead in the region to 99.

Flooding in more than 88 Guatemalan communities forced the evacuation of more than 6,000 residents. Nearly all of the country's rivers overflowed, while landslides and fallen trees blocked at least 30 roads. Most of the dead were killed in landslides, national disaster agency officials said.

President ?car Berger of Guatemala called on Congress to declare a state of emergency, to allow the government to require evacuations of dangerous areas, set prices on emergency supplies and provide federal coordination of relief efforts.

''But we're only going to do all of this if it is absolutely necessary,'' Mr. Berger said.

In San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, at least 49 people were killed in four days of mudslides and flooding. Nationwide, more than 16,700 Salvadorans had fled their homes for 167 shelters.

Among those evacuated were residents of Santa Tecla, outside San Salvador, where an earthquake caused a landslide in January 2001. Officials have expressed concern that heavy rain or another quake would cause another landslide.

In Nicaragua, nine people died, including six migrants believed to be Ecuadoreans killed in a boat wreck attributed to the storm. Four deaths were reported in Honduras and one in Costa Rica.

In Tapachula in Mexico's Chiapas region, near the border with Guatemala, two people died when a river overflowed and roared through the city, sweeping them away and carrying wooden and metal houses with it, the authorities said Wednesday. The flooding forced hundreds of evacuations.

President Vicente Fox of Mexico visited the area on Wednesday, and promised victims that the government would do what it could to help.

Tapachula was largely cut off from surrounding areas as major highways, roads and bridges were left under water. ''Sadly, we know it's going to keep raining,'' said Gov. Pablo Salazar of Chiapas.

Other Mexican victims included a wife and husband who were killed Wednesday in a landslide in the southern state of Oaxaca, civil protection officials said.

Authorities in Veracruz State, which took a direct hit from the hurricane, reported only seven injuries. But a man and his donkey were missing in the town of Guti?ez Zamora after being swept away by floodwaters while trying to cross a flooded ditch. Witnesses said a man had been electrocuted as he helped evacuation efforts in the city of Veracruz.

Photo: Rescue workers in San Salvador saved a woman yesterday whose house had been flooded by heavy rain. Hurricane Stan, which had led to downpours across Central America, diminished to a depression yesterday. (Photo by Yuri Cortez/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images)